Immerse in the spirit of Christmas along Orchard Road as Singapore’s premier lifestyle and shopping destination transforms into a magical wonderland for the holidays. As part of Christmas on A Great Street, shopping malls are bedecked with flickering fairy lights, twinkling trees and elaborate decorations, with street performances and festive bazaars galore. After all, ’tis the season to be jolly!

Since the first Orchard Road Christmas Light-up in 1984, scores of Singaporeans and tourists alike have flocked to the precinct to celebrate and shop for gifts for their loved ones. This year, look forward to a slew of festivities that allude to the theme of “Endless Wonder”.

Light-up ceremony

The festivities begin more than a month before Christmas, and typically attract photography buffs, families with kids, shopaholics and partygoers looking to soak in the festive atmosphere. On 11 November, witness Orchard Road transform into an even more vibrant stretch when the festive lights come on for the first time this year. The lights will be up ’til 1 January so you’ve more than a month to take them all in.

Endless Wonder Christmas Village

It’s not Christmas if there isn’t a cosy, charming market to put you in the holiday mood. And for the first time, Christmas on A Great Street is setting up the Endless Wonder Christmas Village, at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza. Set your kids off on bouncy castles, feast on Yuletide delicacies, and enjoy the live music gigs as costumed performers rove among the crowds.

Pop-up stars

As part of the Christmas Village, more than 25 brands, from food to fashion, are pitching their tents. Along Orchard Road, there will also be duplex stores that belong to beauty brand SK-II and everybody’s favourite ice cream company, Häagen-Dazs. The former features interactive art installations and a café, while the latter is putting together DIY workshops and, in the spirit of the season, a ‘snow room’.

Christmas countdown party

Come 24 December, join fellow partygoers to greet Christmas Day at Orchard Road’s first-ever countdown party. Drink, dance and dive into the thick of the merrymaking before pyrotechnic displays light up the sky once the clock strikes midnight.

Captivating street décor

The halls, malls and the entire 2.8-kilometre stretch of Orchard Road are decked with glittering lights and stardust. Take in the street decorations from Tanglin Mall to Plaza Singapura, and stop by the many shopping centres competing to be crowned the “Best Dressed Building” for the festive season. Have your say, too, by casting your vote on the OneOrchard iOS and Android app.

If you’ve always wanted to star gaze in the wilderness, The Enchanted Tree in front of Wisma Atria comes close enough. Stand under the installation’s ‘canopy’ and look up—you’ll see a constellation of stars spread out over you. Then lose yourself in The Walk of Wonder in front of Forum The Shopping Mall—this 20-metre-long immersive passage with reflective fabrics, fairy lights and amorphous shapes will whisk you away to a whole new fantasy world.

The season of giving

In the spirit of the season, hit up the malls to hunt down perfect gifts for your loved ones. ION Orchard and Ngee Ann City are renowned for their mix of haute couture and high street fashion labels, while orchardgateway and 313@Somerset are your go-tos for younger, edgier threads. As for well-curated department stores, it doesn’t get better than at the heritage TANGS at Tang Plaza and Robinsons The Heeren. Tech geeks might want to venture into Singapore’s first Apple Store, too, for the latest toys and gadgetry.

If you’re holding a Mastercard credit or debit card, you’re in for a treat: Ten malls along Orchard Road—including Paragon, Wisma Atria and Mandarin Gallery—are offering S$30 vouchers with spends of S$300 with your card.

Christmas on A Great Street

Did you know?

When the Orchard Road Christmas Light-Up started in 1984, it lasted just 20 days. People loved the lights so much that it ran for 37 days the following year. It now runs for six weeks from mid-November to early January.